Key device



R. M. HOPKINS.

KEY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MN.23. 1920.

1,394,333. Pat3nted 003 25, 921.

INVENIUR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN DISTRICT TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

KEY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed January 23, 1920. Serial No. 353,458.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. Horxms, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key Devices, of, which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in keys, or key devices, more especially to the key devices or watchmens register conditioning devices, designed to be used in connection with thewatchmens register of the application of C. C. Johnson and myself filed June 12, 1919, Serial No. 303,593. According to the system of the said application, the watchman is provided with a portable register havingregistering mechanism adapted to be actuated by the watchman each time the latter reaches a station which he is supposed to visit; but the registering mechanism is normally locked and'can be actuated only when the watchman has applied his register to a suitable key device or conditioning device or station device, as it is variously termed, of which there is one at each station to be visited. The several key devices are preferably provided with means whereby they are differentiated one from another, and the mechanism of the register is such that actuation of the registry mechanism at one station conditions that mechanism for actuation upon application to the next key device of the series.

.VVhile the several key devices must be readily accessible, in the sense that itmust be easy to apply the watchmans. register thereto, yet theessential portion of the key device, or key proper, should, be protected from the elements, and from accidental injury; hence it is desirable to provide asuitable case. It is still more important that this essential portion, or key proper, shall be so protected that it is extremely diflicult, if not impossible, for the watchman, or other unauthorized person, to learn the actualconstruction of the key device, and in particular to learn the construction, size, and arrangement of those parts of thekey device which, by engagement with corresponding parts of the register, effect the re.- lease of the mechanism of the latter for actuation. Itisfurther desirable that the construction of the keydevice be such that,

if that device be taken apart by an unauthorized person, it shall be extremely difiicult, if not impossible, to reassemble it again except by the aid of special tools which the unauthorized person is not likely to have available. In this way any attempt to learn the construction of the key device and so learn how to construct a successful imitation thereof, will be exposed.

The key device herein described is an im-' provement upon the device for r the same purpose set forth in my application Serial No. 303,633 filed June 12, 1919, and embodies improvements in structure and arrangement.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify key devices such as referred to.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims:

Figure 1 shows a central longitudinal section of akey device embodyingmy invention, secured to a suitable support.

F ig. 2 shows a transverse vertical section on the'line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and inparticular shows the shutter which normally closes vthe opening through which the register may be inserted.

ig. 4 shows a perspective elevationof the tumblerretainer.

Fig. 5, shows aninverted perspective elevation of the tumbler-carrying stem.

The key device illustrated in the said drawings comprises a base 41, adapted to be secured to a wall' or other support, and a shell or casing 42, together with a central stem or tumbler-carrier 43, having sockets at suitably-spaced intervals for spring pressed ball. tumblers 44. The sockets 45, in which these ball tumblers are located, are slightly closed at their outer ends, so as to prevent the escape of the ball-tumblers. Be hind. the springs of these ball tumblers there is a retaining-bar 46, fitting. loosely in a slot of the stem 43 except as to be now stated. At its frontend this bar 46 has a short flanged headportion46 fitting within a correspondingly formed slot of thestem' 43. At its rear end the retaining bar 46 is held in place normally by a spring-pressed plunger 46 The purpose of this construction isto cause the ball-tumblers 44; and their springs to fall out and sQiet r in case any attempt may be made to tamper with the key device by removing the shell 42. As shown, this shell 42 is held to the base 41 by externalscrews 42 which, of course, are easy to remove. Suppose these screws are removed, and the shell 42 pulled away from the base 41. The tumbler-carrying bar'43, being secured to the base 41 by a screw 43* entering from the back of that base, that tumbler-carrier will remain in place when portion of the stem 43, and to drop; and once this tumbler-retainer has dropped at its front end it is very difficult to replace 1t.

As the shell 42 is pulled still farther away,

sincethe tumbler-retainer moves-with it, the various tumbler-sockets in stem 43 are uncovered andthe tumblers and balls therein fall out; and once this has occurred, it is practically impossible to replace them, since the stem 43 itself cannot well beremoved, since it is secured to the base 41 by ascrew 43 entering that stem from the rear, this screw 43 being therefore inaccessible.

In practice some of the tumbler sockets of the carrier 43 are omitted in each key device, the sockets so omittedconstituting a different arrangement from those omitted in each of the other carriers 43, and each key device of the series has a different combination of tumblersfrom all the other key devices of the system, the tumbler combination of each key device of the system corresponding to a corresponding combination of tumblers of the register.

At its front, the shell 42 is closed by an end portion 42? in which is a slot 42 for the 1 reception of certain lugs of the register.

This Slot therefore compels the insertion of the register into the key device in a definite position. For the protection of the contents of the shell from the weather, dust,

' etc., a shutter is provided consisting of two leaves 42 and 42 pivoted to the shell, guided by pins 42 working in slots 42 and normally drawn together by a spring 42 These shutter leaves are provided with external handles 42 which the Watchman may press together, so separating the shutter leaves andpermitting the entry of the register into the station device.

In assembling the parts of this station device, the base 41 with the stem 43 and its tumblers, tumbler-springs and tumbler-retainer 46, are secured to theintended support, and then shell 42 is set in place on said base. During the securing of the base 41 to its support, the engagementof the T-head 4b of the tumbler-retainer holds, that turrbler-retainer in place. In placing the shell 42, the 1atchpin 46 is necessarily pressed back, in order that that latch-pin may pass over the tumbler-retainer; but when the shell is in place that latch-pin engages the corresponding recess in the tumbler-retainer 46. Thereafter, no one, whether he be authorized or unauthorized, can remove the shell 42 without removing as well the tumbler-ret'ainer 46; for-the latch-pin46 is extremely inaccessible, and unlessit can be retracted (and this is practically impossible after the parts are assembled), the shell '42 cannot be drawn away without. drawing with it the tumbler-retainer v46.

For convenience in manufacture, the latchpin 46 is carried by a member 46 separate from shell 42 proper,'but secured to it, and

functionally a part of it. x

While the key device hereinillustrated register ofthe Johnson and Hopkins application Serial No. 303,593, above referred to, it is also adapted, and particularly intended, for use with the register of the companion application of C. Johnson and myself, SerialNo. 3534601, in-which-companion application this key device is alsoillustrated and described,v I

What I claim is: V

LA key device such as described comprising in combination a stem having tum- Jler-sockets open at both ends, tumblers and springs therefor in said'sockets, and a retaining bar closing said sockets at the rear,

and described is adapted to be used with the and having a head portion fitting within a corresponding groove of thestem, whereby said retaining bar may be: separated from the stem by longitudinal, movement of one with respect to theother. j V

v 2; A key device such as describedlcomprising in combination a. stem having tumblersockets open at both ends, tumblers and springs therefor in said sockets, and a retaming bar closing said sockets at the rear,

and having at one end a short head portion fittingwithin a groove of the stem, whereby a short motion of the retaining bar, with reference to the said stem, will cause disengagement of the retaining bar from the stem.

3. A key device such as described coinprisinga base, an inclosing shell secured to said base, a tumbler-carrying stem within said shell and also secured to said base, said shell having at its front anopening for the reception of an object to pass over said stem, and two pivoted spring-actuated shutter blades tosetherforming a shutter normally closing said opening, said; :blades having manually operable means to separate them to permit the passage of an object into said shell.

4:. A key device such as described comprising in combination a base, a tumblerstem secured to said base and projecting therefrom, and provided with a plurality of tumbler-pockets open at both ends, a shell surrounding and serving to protect the said stem, and a tumbler retainer closing the rear ends of said tumbler-pockets and arranged to be separated from said stem by short longitudinal motion of the shell with respect to said stem. a

5. A key device such as described comprising in combination a base, a tumblerstem secured to said "base and projecting therefrom, and provided with a plurality of tumbler-pockets open at both ends, a shell surrounding and serving to protect the said stem, and a tumbler-retainer closing the rear ends of said tumbler-pockets, and arranged to be separated from said stem by short longitudinal motion of said tumbler-retainer with reference to said stem, said shell provided with a latch engaging said tumbler-retainer and adapted to cause the latter to be drawn forward out of engagement with the stem upon removal of the shell.

6. A key device such as described comprising in combination a base, a tumblerstem secured to said base and projecting therefrom, and provided with a plurality of tumbler-pockets open at both ends, a shell surrounding and serving to protect the said stem, and a. tumbler-retainer closing the rear ends of said tumbler-pockets, and arranged to be separated from said stem by short longitudinal motion of said tumbler-retainer with reference to said stem, said shell provided with a spring-pressed latch engaging said tumbler-retainer and adapted to cause the latter to be drawn forward out of engagement with the stem upon removal of the shell.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' RICHARD M. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

J. L. MUsMAN, V CATHERINE J. FLEMING. 

